1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to direct current (DC) power supplies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a modular DC power supply providing a plurality of selectable programmed voltage output levels. The power supply provides unlimited expansion capability for data processing or other modular electronic systems by allowing ready addition to the system of generic power supply modules that correspond to and provide power to added functional system modules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is an immense variety of line-powered DC power supplies and power supply circuits commonly available to electronic equipment designers and manufacturers. The manifold applications of electronic technology have spawned a vast body of knowledge relating to the production of a DC voltage from an AC line source. As new electronic devices are produced to meet the relentless onward rush of electronic technology, new problems of powering the devices are created.
The concept of modularity in electronic devices is gaining increasing popularity. A modular electronic system, such as a modular data processing system, grows from a basic configuration accommodating few users (or having basic features) to a very large configuration accommodating many users (or having augmented features). Providing a complete power supply for each module in the system is redundant to the extent that each power supply must duplicate several common circuit components. Such an approach to powering modular electronic systems wastes valuable user work space, generates excessive heat and increases the likelihood of power supply produced electrical interference within the system and other sensitive devices. Interconnecting or cabling the various modules as the system grows becomes a topological nightmare. Unfortunately, there has been no implementation in the power supply art solving the above-noted limitations wrought by the evolving field of modular electronic systems.